Clear Island Waters is on the Mudgerabba Creek system in a
housing estate on the Gold Coast. Bass and saltwater fish occur here
naturally but the waters are stocked with Australian Bass by the
Australian Bass Association regularly.

Although the population
of bass are mostly small in size, from time to time you may encounter a
larger specimen near or over the 50 cm mark. As the system is controlled
by a dock so as waterfront land owners have access to the Nerang River,
Clear Island Waters does hold good quantities of Saltwater species most
commonly Bream with specimens often caught well over the 40 cm mark.

Clear
Island Waters is a favorite spot to fish for Bass for a lot of kayakers
as it offers an alternative to the saltwater fishing nearby and is an
easy to get to spot to launch and try to catch a bass. Also for these
reasons it is popular with kayakers living in the southern and western
Suburbs of Brisbane as it is at the most only an hour drive to the
launching spot.

To get to the launching
spot for Clear Island Waters and you reside in Brisbane drive south
along the M1 heading past the Nerang exits and going further in the
direction of Tugan. Along the way look for Exit Sign 77, this is the
exit you need to take you onto Gooding Drive, which is straight away
left on the round about just after the exit. Gooding Drive is a divided
road and you need to follow this road for three and a half kilometers
until you come onto a large roundabout, make sure you are in the right
hand lane as you approach it as you need to turn right from this round
about onto Robina Parkway. Once on Robina Parkway travel another one and
a quarter kilometres to the next round about where you need to exit to
the left, this will take you to a small parking area beside a Dog free
leash park.This is the corner of Robina Parkway and Boowaggan Road. Park
here and you will see the waters of Clear Island Waters to your side.
There is no proper launch facilities here but this is the best way to
access the area. Once out of the car you will see small access areas
created on the side of the lake by previous kayakers. The parking area
here is very safe with frequent visitors to the area walking their dogs.

Find
a suitable spot to launch, be careful as some of the access areas are
quite rough with slippery gravel and washouts but with care a launch can
be done.

Clear Island Waters has two areas
to fish, there are areas that are surrounded by houses with pontoons
and docks protruding into the water. Some of these have weed and moss
growing along the sides of them which attract bait and fish to the area.
Then there are the open edges of the lake with no houses but grass and
reeds growing to the edges of the banks again with abundant weed beds
which again would hold bait and in turn attract fish to the edges.

Also
there are some areas that have had some dredging when the lakes were
constructed and you will find drop offs and gullies if you search around
with your sounder.

This is a great spot
that is mostly away from the crowds and will give you an ideal
opportunity to tangle with an Australian Bass.

Typical area to fish, large house built on the side of the freshwater canals

The opposite banks, grassy edges with weed beds and lillies

Here's Roberta with a 40 something Bass...

Look for Exit 77 when heading south on the M1

As you enter the Dog park area you will see this to your left side

This is the carpark of the Dog park area once you exit the last Roundabout

This is just one of the many of the access points on the side of the lake